Company news

Company news, From the magazine, News, No Dig Down Under

The solution with a short cure time and long service life

Smart Lock is a no-dig point repair solution that reinstates the structural integrity of deformed and damaged gravity sewers and pipelines. Combining the benefits of fibreglass patching and 316 stainless steel, the repair system is  designed to last in assets for 100 years.  Smart Lock can be used in pipes ranging from DN100 to DN900.

Smart Lock combines proven mechanical and fibreglass technology, with a smooth ratchet locking mechanism from which the product takes its name, to create a true structural fit within an existing pipeline. Installation is faster and more affordable than traditional repairs, taking less than 30 minutes and requiring only three simple steps: load, lock and leave.

Smart Lock can be used in repair jobs that would otherwise require costly bypass pumping and site management. Effective against root intrusion and compatible with end-to-end relining systems, the trenchless system can be used with all stormwater and sewer pipe materials to extend the life of assets by decades.

“With three external locking mechanisms combined with one of the most trusted patch methods using silicate resin-impregnated fibreglass, it is not surprising that Smart Lock is the gold standard for trenchless point rehabilitation and the preferred solution for forward-thinking drain engineers,” says Smart Lock Business Development Manager Shane Curren.

“The system is ideal for pipe defects: from a rolled rubber ring, to a hole or a simple crack in a pipe. With a short cure time and guaranteed long life, it’s the logical solution for restoring weathered infrastructure.”

Smart Lock can be installed remotely from an access pit, where it is loaded and held on the unique installation trolley. This method is faster and lower risk for the asset owner and rehabilitation contractor.

The Smart Lock range also includes large bore drainage pipe seals which are designed for sewer and stormwater pipes with large diameters ranging from DN1000 to DN1800, meaning no job is too big, or too small.

Protecting public infrastructure

Smart Lock Managing Director Andrew White says the product can also be used to close off unwanted lateral drain branches to reduce the amount of concrete which leaks into sewers  during residential construction.

“I think people would be surprised if they knew how much concrete unnecessarily ends up in our public sewer networks,” says Mr White.

“Capping off an unused lateral branch at the boundary of a property still has major but avoidable risks. The branch may be correctly capped but later be removed by an auger or an excavator sometimes months, even years after it was sealed off.”

Mr White says that these accidents can be costly and difficult to resolve.

“Obviously mistakes happen, but this is an expensive one to make and ultimately the taxpayer foots the bill,” he says.

“The simple installation of a Smart Lock structural internal drain sleeve positioned inside the junction provides the optimum level of security against concrete inflows. Smart Lock is alleviating this issue one installation at a time.”

Visit Smart Lock in the No-Dig Down Under exhibition at stand 16A.

For more information visit: www.smartlockgroup.com

 Company news, From the magazine, News, No Dig Down Under

Rob Carr gearing up to deliver major projects in 2022

For almost 30 years, Rob Carr has been a leader and pioneer of microtunnelling for the design and construction of utility infrastructure projects in the water, energy and transport space. Having previously constructed some of Australasia’s most complex pipe jacking projects, this year the company will be busier than ever working on multiple significant projects in Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland.

Quinns Main Sewer Extension, Perth

Rob Carr was awarded a contract to deliver the Quinns Main Sewer Extension for Water Corporation in Western Australia in 2021.

The design and construct contract – which is one of the biggest projects the contractor has undertaken in WA – will extend the Quinns Main Sewer to the Alkimos wastewater treatment plant. The pipeline will allow for the conveyance of wastewater flows from Ellenbrook and will run through Clarkson and Neerabup National Park.

Following the first stage of the project, which was completed more than 10 years ago, this extension will add approximately 2 km of new 1,800 mm diameter sewer, as well as the construction of six new sewer access chambers and two new vortex chambers. Rob Carr is preparing to start microtunnelling in early April and construction is expected to be completed in February 2023. The contractor will utilise one of its most recent fleet acquisitions, a Herrenknecht microtunnel boring machine (MTBM) to complete the DN1800 pipeline works. A ceremony will be held with community groups where the new MTBM will be named before beginning the main tunnelling activity.

Elizabeth Street Sewer Upgrade, Melbourne

In November 2021, Rob Carr was awarded the design and construct contract for the next stage of Greater Western Water’s CBD Sewer Augmentation Project focused on Elizabeth Street in the centre of Melbourne. The new contract follows the contractor’s successful delivery of the project’s previous package of work on the adjacent Lonsdale Street.

This is the third of four stages of the utility’s $80 million program and will see a new pipeline constructed, linking to the new sewers, under Lonsdale and Spencer Streets. The 723 m pipeline will be formed from OD 820 glass reinforced pipe (GRP) installed via microtunnelling between 6 m and 9 m below Elizabeth Street. In addition, eight GRP manholes will also be constructed along the route. The project is currently in the design phase, with early works having started to locate, identify and re-locate existing utility services along the route of the new pipeline, where required. Major construction work is expected to begin in the coming months with completion due early 2023.

ECI and partner projects in the works

Rob Carr is currently engaged in multiple Early Contractor Involvement (ECI) processes with major asset owners requiring the installation of important drainage and wastewater infrastructure in NSW, QLD and VIC. The company has also partnered with key Tier 1 and 2 contractors in each of these states for other targeted projects, and remains hopeful of several major project awards throughout the year.

More information on each of these projects will be featured in Trenchless Australasia in 2022 once the winning consortiums have been publicised. Rob Carr General Manager Angelo Soumboulidis says the company is excited about what will be a busy year for the company.

“All are important large scale projects, so we’re thrilled that our current and prospective clients have the requisite faith in our ability to deliver such major infrastructure upgrades,” he says.

“Each project comes with its own unique complexities, constrained working environments and timelines. Whether we are delivering major assets beneath major transport assets, working in a highly constrained CBD working environment or constructing record breaking drive lengths, we aim to provide clients with surety in complex drainage and wastewater infrastructure delivery.”                        

For more information visit: https://www.robcarr.com.au/ 

 Company news, From the magazine, News, No Dig Down Under

Delivering Australian-made reliable solutions

With its Australian-made robotic cutters exported across the globe, adding to KRE’s success has been its dedication to producing innovative, cost-effective and reliable products that offer the benefit of being easily operated and maintained.

Director Keith Edmunds says the company prides itself on working closely with its customers and their operators, enabling KRE to develop and produce products to suit market requirements.

“Due to a lack of reliable equipment from overseas and the industry being in its infancy in the 1990’s we decided to manufacture our own equipment to cater for the evolving Australian trenchless industry needs and requirements,” Edmunds says.

“Our robotic equipment is solely Australian-made and manufactured, proudly utilising other

Australian businesses to support the local economy and ensuring we deliver top-quality, cost-effective and reliable solutions to our partners.”

KRE has also introduced a restricted access Portable Cable Reel which has been developed with its partners to facilitate remote access with an additional 100 metre cable capability from point of entry.

Edmunds says this enables the operator to be situated up to 200 metres away from entry point and further allows its customers to access difficult or remote manholes.

KRE specialises in designing and manufacturing innovative and cutting-edge lateral cutters for pipelines ranging from 150mm up to 1200mm diameter.

Australian Made Certified and produced in-house, KRE will be showcasing its new mini robotic cutter system at the 2022 No-Dig Down Under Exhibition.

“This system has been engineered to work in either sewer or potable water pipes from 80mm to 150mm I-D and will be available to order from March 2022,” Edmunds says.

“This compact system will be compatible to KRE’s existing robotic equipment and will offer our partners the capabilities of working in reduced diameter pipelines that have been previously inaccessible with self-drive robotic equipment.

Looking ahead to this year, KRE is investing in research and development for its core product range.

Edmunds says this will be its robotic lateral cutters, which now range from 80mm to 1200mm.

“Our team are designing and trialling new technology in robotic machines for potable water pipes ranging from 75mm to 225mm,” he says. “We are also developing a new micro-cutter to cater towards the domestic plumbing market. Both of which we hope to have on display at No-Dig Down Under 2022.”

KRE produces reliable robotic equipment combined with clear imaging to efficiently perform the basic yet vital tasks of robotic repair and reinstatement of laterals and internal pipeline repairs, eliminating the need to dig up roads and other surfaces and ensuring minimal disruption to traffic and the environment.

KRE is excited to be working with a number of new and upcoming contractors and partners utilising its equipment; expanding its customer base and exploring new opportunities to create solutions for now and for the future.

As a Silver Sponsor of the No-Dig Down Under 2022 exhibition in Sydney, KRE will be exhibiting its product range along with some new and pioneering equipment.

For more information visit: https://kre.com.au/ 

 Company news, From the magazine, News, No Dig Down Under

Protecting your most valuable trenchless assets

Managing Director Ben Gair founded BG Risk after recognising the need for a competent, honest and commercially minded insurance broker which looks beyond the traditional realms of insurance.

“We have a proven history for establishing trust with our clients by understanding their businesses, providing sound advice and being their advocates,” says Mr Gair.

“Through all stages of the process, we are focused on partnering with clients, achieving great outcomes and offering unrivalled service.”

When engaging with its clients, BG Risk takes a three-step approach to providing specific coverage: discover, design and deliver.

During the discovery phase the company meets with stakeholders to understand the history of business and identify any issues and/or concerns. These initial discussions also cover prior losses, risk management, compile risk information and determine retention levels.

Mr Gair says this planning is vital to providing precise coverage for each client.

“We pride ourselves on providing tailored coverage, which makes this exploratory process vital to the delivery of our service,” he says.

“A lot of brokers use a cookie cutter approach, or don’t really know the business, which penalises the client because then their proposed insurer doesn’t understand their business.”

“During the next stage of our consultation we put together a program to take to market, creating competition among insurers to achieve the best price and the most comprehensive insurance program.”

After the coverage has been implemented, BG Risk maintains contact and builds on the contractor/broker relationship, as well as managing any claims that may arise, assisting with risk management and providing advice during the insurance term.

While BG Risk’s brokers specialise in working with businesses across a range of specialist industries, Mr Gair says their expertise lies in construction.

“This knowledge and experience means we can identify risks that are specific to your type of business and quickly find the right policy options to match,” he says.

“We already work with a number of leading civil construction companies, so we have an acute understanding of the risks that relate to the high value machines trenchless contractors rely-on on a daily basis.

“For example, we’ve recently seen an increase in delays to repair and reinstate damaged mobile plant and equipment. This is largely due to manufacture and supply chain issues stemming from COVID.

“Not only is mobile plant a large investment, but is is also vital to productivity and operations on-site, so it’s important we ensure that businesses can continue to operate and have the resources to do so if a loss occurs.”

Mr Gair says he’s looking forward to catching-up with clients and engaging further with the industry at his first No-Dig Down Under.

“You can learn so much at trade events and nothing beats meeting people face to face. Like anything, insurance is always evolving, so if you own high-value trenchless equipment I would encourage you should stop by our booth and learn a bit more about what we do – you never know we might be more competitive than you think.”

For more information visit: https://www.bgrisk.net/ 

 Company news, From the magazine, News, No Dig Down Under

New RDO Equipment and Vermeer Australia dealership means more opportunities for the region

The new dealership is expected to contribute millions to the local economy through the $8.5M facility, offering employment opportunities and increased capacity to service more machines not only at the new branch, but remotely via its field service division.

RDO Equipment’s new CEO, Phil Canning, says this new dealership means big things for local customers, and reflects the Group’s strong commitment to embedding itself in the Australian market.

“We want to show our Tasmanian customers that we’re here for them, and we’ve got their backs. Our investment in this new location signals our support of the sectors that contribute billions of dollars to the Tasmanian economy – agriculture, roads, construction, environmental, landscaping, mining, and forestry sectors – across our two world leading machinery brands, John Deere and Vermeer,” Canning says.

“We now have greater capacity for not only more equipment in stock, but more parts on shelves and service support, all with a real focus on maximising our customers’ uptime.”

The new branch has moved 10 minutes down the road from the previous premises on Montague St, Invermay, to Australis Drive, Rocherlea and offers a much larger space for servicing and holding machines and parts.

“The new branch will start with four service technicians working across six service bays, which we will look to add to over the coming year, along with new sales, parts and admin staff. It’s great news for Launceston, our existing customers, and new customers right across the state,” Canning says.

The new branch expansion also means a bigger focus on career development opportunities, with more training resources available for existing staff and new starters.

“With a larger footprint in the region, we will be looking to invest more into training and development for our employees, and also investing in a strong apprentice program. We want to be bringing in more up-and-comers and help develop their careers throughout both Vermeer and RDO Equipment in these exciting industry sectors,” he says.

“It’s so important that we have these training and development opportunities available for every one of our employees, whether you’re at the early stages of your career or well cemented in the role. A larger branch presence will help us bring in the resources to do just that.”

The new dealership is located at 4 Australis Drive, Rocherlea.

For more information about Vermeer Australia visit www.vermeeraustralia.com.au 

adept civil
 Australia, Boring, Company news, Featured, From the magazine, Installation

Girl power: Adept Civil Group up and coming leader in the trenchless world

What is commonly seen as a male-dominated industry, Maddison Corrie is not phased, taking the opportunity to pave the way for other women interested in the trenchless sector.

Corrie recalls when she finished school that she always wanted to do something in the trenchless field.

“I never wanted an office job. After school I got out in the field and a job came about in traffic control on the Gold Coast,” she says. “Once I finished that job, I then moved to Melbourne doing traffic control and that is when I was working alongside a gas client who offered me a job which then led to the job with Adept down the track.”

In the four years Corrie has been with Adept Civil Group she has progressed from learning to operate machines to running the day-to-day operations of the machine.

Business development manager Quentin Powell says once he has done a handover on site, the project then becomes Corrie’s.

“Maddison is now responsible for running the maintenance of the machines, running crews, and looking after the clients on site,” he says.

“This industry has a very heavy male presence, but the way she has had to deal with the different clients and use her own skills and intuition has resulted in the best outcomes for not only the client but the Adept business too.

“Her growth and communication with everyone has been a pleasure to watch. And we are only at the start of her journey too.”

Continuing to prove her skills and expertise in the industry, Corrie has recently been involved with the Albion Station upgrade in Melbourne’s western suburbs for Metro Trains Melbourne (MTM).

At the end of November 2021, Adept Civil Group was awarded a contract by the Hitch Group to support the upgrade.

Albion Station is extending platforms to fit bigger, more modern trains and installing wheelchair boarding pads to improve accessibility.

Power upgrades are also taking place in and adjacent to the rail corridor near Albion Station as part of works to boost electrical capacity along the Sunbury Line.

As part of the upgrades, an electrical substation on Talmage Street is being built to provide essential power for bigger, more modern trains to run along the line. This will improve the capacity, reliability and frequency of services for passengers.

Corrie says the job was very tricky, with Adept having to work on the railway lines where the trains were and having to overcome challenging and tough ground conditions.

“Adept Civil Group was successful in being awarded this project due to our outstanding safety record and previous success with delivery of major rail crossing by micro-tunnelling method,” she says.

Adept Civil
Maddison Corrie, Adept Civil

“Some of the hardest ground conditions that you will ever encounter, have been encountered with basalt rock in excess of 250MPA. Our approach and mindset is: slow and steady will win this race. Our client Metro Trains Melbourne has been incredibly impressed by our whole teams’ approach to this project.”

As part of the contract, Corrie says the company also had to modify its drill from 355 diameter to 400 diameter in order to complete the 2 x 36m bores in solid basalt installing a 376mm GRP sleeve. Each sleeve holds 4 x 150mm power conduits.

Powell says in order to achieve this, Adept had to adapt the drill itself and make a few modifications to the rods in order for it to centralise in the bore.

“It was a fairly involved process. However, going forward this modification will benefit us in the future, opening up a wider range of jobs. Instead of being limited to that smaller diameter, it opens up a whole new prospect,” he says.

Describing the project as amazing, Corrie says the next phase will allow the company to adapt the knowledge they learnt from the first part and implement into their future work.

As Corrie nears completing another project under her belt, her advice to other women wanting to get into the trenchless industry is “just don’t give up”.

“It is hard starting out, but just know you will make it one day,” she says. “It is 2022, so women can do what men do. We might not be able to do certain things at the same capacity but that doesn’t me we can’t do it. Just keep trying and you will make it.”

For more information visit the Adept Civil website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

Maxibor
 Australia, Company news, Featured, Installation, News

Infrastructure sector growth and value

The Australian infrastructure sector is going through a significant growth and change phase as the world emerges post-covid and refocuses on economic and environmental development. The HDD sector is well positioned to play a significant role in designing and delivering infrastructure projects that can be part of the economic recovery and provide climate change mitigation solutions.

David Turner has spent several decades working in the trenchless industry. In his business development and HDD operational roles at Maxibor, Turner is very familiar with most of the major infrastructure projects requiring HDD that have been completed in recent years; those currently in progress; and those that will be designed and delivered across Australia over the next five years. 

Turner predicts exciting times ahead for the HDD sector from a growth and value perspective. He says, “Companies like Maxibor, which have a widely-recognised reputation for the successful design and delivery of all sized HDD projects, have a wealth of knowledge that can be used at all project phases to add value and help optimise outcomes for all stakeholders.”

maxibor
Maxibor’s national business development manager David Turner

Over the next five years, governments and private sector infrastructure asset owners are set to make unprecedented investment in infrastructure projects. Free from Covid constraints and backed by economic support from Federal and state governments, it is important that the projects are designed and delivered in a manner that takes full advantage of the installation benefits that HDD can provide.

At a project’s concept level, it is important that HDD expertise is part of the early discussions, as HDD involvement at this stage will bring greater understanding of the process and its benefits, plus innovative opportunities for the installation of the infrastructure.

“Providers like Maxibor are already delivering larger diameter and long bores in excess of 2 km,” says Turner. “It is exciting that early connection with our HDD design expertise is increasingly sought out by asset owners, project consultants and design engineering consultancies to provide early input into projects to help identify and better inform early designs and project decisions”.

Once a project moves to the expression of interest (EOI) stage where bidders need to progress design and construction methodology to a more detailed level, having the HDD design and delivery experience in the bid team can be pivotal to the success of the bid.

One recent example is the Sydney Water Refresh Vaucluse to Diamond Bay project. Comdain worked closely with Maxibor and WSP to present Comdain’s winning bid for the design and delivery of this project, which included a 1.85 km pipeline.

The cooperative approach of the bid team and the collaborative NEC4 procurement approach by Sydney Water is creating a project delivery framework which will optimise outcomes for all stakeholders on this showpiece major project.

Maxibor now has one of the largest HDD maxi-rig fleets in Australia. This includes a Vermeer 330×500, American Auger 660, Gallagher 600 and a Gallagher 660e (The Hulk). Maxibor also has the four most powerful pumps in the HDD industry, with its two Gardner Denver PZ8s and two Gardner Denver PZ9s.

The grunt of the rigs and pumps means that Maxibor can take on any length bore. “Project decisionmakers understanding the capabilities of the available HDD equipment is so important across the full project cycle – from concept, design and delivery – as this helps to optimise the value of a project,” says Turner.

Maxibor’s Gallagher 660e maxi-rig, informally known as The Hulk, is the only electric maxi-rig in the HDD industry in Australia.  The electrified spread comes with its own substation and can drill up to 3.5 kms in a single shot with a diameter up to 1.6 m.

According to Stephen Loneragan, one of Australia’s leading HDD design engineers, “Electric spreads provide new design and delivery solutions in Australia, especially for complex capital city water and sewer or power and gas projects where setup, noise, emissions, congestion services and ground conditions all present challenges that need to be overcome.”

There is a growing need for government and private sector funders of investment in infrastructure to meet Environment, Sustainability and Governance (ESG) requirements.  Both ESG and climate are at the top of funders’ lists in terms of risk mitigation, and they want to be able to demonstrate that they are investing in a way that optimises longer term sustainability outcomes for all stakeholders.

In this context, trenchless technology, and more specifically HDD, can provide solutions that are compatible with critical needs of funders, asset owners and the broader community.

Installing infrastructure “down under” is an effective solution for Australia as the country faces the impact of climate change. Having telecommunications and electrical assets underground provides many obvious safety and environmental benefits – one need only look at the ravages of the more extreme weather conditions like the 2019-20 bushfires to see that having infrastructure securely installed at depth provides a significantly safe community. It also facilitates the recovery process as services can be more quickly restored.

Maxibor’s chief executive Rodney O’Meley says the push for early cooperative involvement in projects and environmentally friendly delivery methods reflects the importance the industry is placing on the long-term picture.

“If a project is designed well, its chances of successful delivery and longer-term value are much more likely to be better achieved. Investment in disaster resilient infrastructure needs to be seen not as an additional expense but as an opportunity to create shared value for businesses and society,” says O’Meley.

For more information visit the Maxibor website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

 

AXIS
 Australia, Company news, Featured, Installation, Microtunnelling

Reducing the social costs of pipeline installations with microtunnelling

The installation of underground utilities has the potential to cause major disruption to the community and surrounding environment depending on the method used. Microtunnelling offers an alternative solution to open cut methods for installing pipelines quickly and accurately while lowering the social costs.

Read more

Safety Shovel
 Australia, Company news, Featured, From the magazine, News

Save lives, protect your reputation and prevent your next asset strike

The Safety Shovel provides the ideal real-time detection of metal and power above or below ground. It allows for the detection of metallic cables, pipes and electric circuits under the ground.  

The significant financial cost and time as well as reputational harm in the event of unexpectedly damage to utility assets can be crippling. In addition, industry demands for work safety have never been more stringent.

The Safety Shovel is your key tool to prevent assets strikes and keep your workers safe. The Safety Shovel is a world first, protected under patent after 4 years of persistent R&D.

This tool is simple and easy to use. It provides the double benefit of serving as a conventional shovel and a safety tool/ asset detection device in one. The Safety Shovel is multi-functional: featuring multiple sensors, it can detect a variety of metals within 280 mm.

Heavy duty and lightweight, this tool is designed with the end user at the fore. The metal LED lights will flash green or red at a range in frequency from fast to slow to indicate risk during the dig.

The long-life battery is USB rechargeable, and a single charge produces around 36 hours of use.

The Safety Shovel is designed and made in Australia to be used as a supportive tool to protect workers from harmful events resulting from assets strikes. Although best endeavours are deployed to prevent infrastructure strikes, records that are inaccurate deliver risk that cannot be minimised without advanced tooling.

The Safety Shovel provides the ideal real-time detection tool to protect workers by detecting metal objects & electrical cables (EMF) subsurface. With alignment to Australian excavation standards, the Safety Shovel allows workers to operate within the ‘exclusion Zone’ and detect materials and cables that if damaged, would result in a major occupational health, safety and environment (OHSE) event.

This technology is a world-first, incorporating simultaneous detection of electrical currents and metallic objects combined within a shovel, and it will make its debut at the 2022 No Dig show.

For more information visit the Safety Shovel website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

KAISER
 Australia, Company news, Featured, News

Leading contractors choose KAISER to deliver top-tier recycler technology

KAISER specialises in the design, engineering and manufacture of world class vacuum and jetting vehicles for water recycling, sewer, stormwater, hydraulic excavation, industrial and dry suction applications. The company is constantly advancing its product portfolio to keep ahead of the competition, and maintain it’s standing as the supplier of the world’s most advanced recycling vehicles.

In Australia, KAISER recently secured orders with two leading contractors to deliver AquaStar III machines which feature the best recycler technology available on the market.

One of these new partners is TDG Environmental, a leader in comprehensive stormwater, sewer and critical asset preservation and preventative maintenance, resource recovery and recycling services. The group includes six brands across New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, providing solutions to a variety of industries.

Highly engineered and using patented technology, AquaStar III units feature Kaiser’s unique single-stage recycling system which uses in-house designed and purpose-built pumps and patented RotoMax filter. The machines perfectly balance performance, versatility and payload, with this maximised efficiency resulting in industry leading water preservation and sustainability.

KAISER
Elegance 2.0 HydroVac 6×4 on site. Image: KAISER

Compared with similar technology available on the market, AquaStar III requires less cleaning and maintenance, resulting in reduced downtime and meaning a greater return on investment for operators.

KAISER has also partnered with another industry leading contractor – working in Australia and New Zealand, as well as across the world – to deliver an AquaStar III. After learning about the environmental and sustainable benefits, as well as the increased productivit, the contractor concluded that acquiring the machine was essential to maintaining competitive in the market.

KAISER entered the local market by setting up an Australian subsidiary in 2020. The number of units in production for Australia this year has more than quadrupled from 2021, and already almost half of these units have sold.

In 2021, the company secured an official service and support partnership with SECA, who will now stock a full range of service and maintenance parts at its facility in Sydney. In addition, SECA will provide factory backed training and support for local customers.

KAISER still has a full range of water recycling, combination and hydro-excavation units currently available, but stock is limited due to global supply-chain issues, meaning once these units sell, the next stock will not arrive until 2023. The company is already working on a 2023 production schedule to meet the demands of the evolving market and is expanding its inventory to meet industry demand. 

For more information visit the KAISER website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

Vapar
 Australia, Company news, Featured, News, Pipelines

VAPAR provides CCTV solutions to asset managers

Avoid the backlog

A common industry challenge is how to effectively manage the increasing volume of CCTV pipe inspection data that accumulates over time. Backlogs occur when inspection projects reach completion, but the packaging of the subsequent required programmed work is delayed.

A CCTV backlog can then grow larger when the pace of condition inspections continues at a faster pace than the review and decision process. This dilemma is often exacerbated by resource challenges where engineers are spread thinly across multiple asset management tasks, and when efficient data access is not in place to support the decision-making process.

The receival of CCTV inspection results should not be considered the final delivery of a program, but rather a point in the circular process of pipe asset management. Each step should be designed to synchronise and complement the one that follows.

     

Vapar
Pipe condition assessment process. Image: VAPAR

Acquiring the 1 to 5 condition gradings is only one part of managing a pipe network. Questions to consider when implementing a successful asset management strategy include:

  • Do I have confidence that I’m inspecting the right percentage of my network, and the correct pipes within it?
  • Do all relevant stakeholders in my organisation have access to data from past inspections?
  • Am I updating my GIS and asset management systems with condition results?
  • Is my process designed to inform asset risk, value, and future inspection programs?

No silos in the cloud

Having a suitable storage option for the large amount of video files that CCTV inspections generate, while retaining access for stakeholders to view reports and make maintenance and rehabilitation decisions, presents both storage and software challenges for councils and utilities.

Greater Western Water (Victoria) and Richmond Valley Council (NSW) are two such organisations that have turned to the VAPAR.Solutions platform to significantly improve the access and management of their inspection file libraries covering the last 5 years.

Moving to a cloud-based solution provides options to keep both GIS mapping and asset management systems up to date, while removing the reliance on portable hard-drives and messy network folder structures that can lead to data silos and unintended information barriers.

Same storage for pushrod and zoom footage

Traditional CCTV pipe inspection software and processes have been designed to work with pan-tilt-zoom crawler cameras. This often leads to inspections collected using pushrod and pole-mounted zoom cameras being poorly catalogued and lacking a common approach to access and compare condition information. In many cases, a video is captured but soon after the footage and data disappear due to poor storage and reporting options.

2021 saw VAPAR successfully run projects that provided the opportunity to import, analyse and produce inspection style reports for a range of camera hardware. The opportunity to store, map, report, and track decisions for crawler, pushrod, and pole camera inspections all in the one location has significantly increased the value and useability of this type of footage for asset owners. Having access to more condition collection methods allows for greater flexibility and increased coverage of a network to better manage risk and improve the understanding of pipe infrastructure.

Mildura Rural City Council sought options to economically survey a significant percentage of their stormwater network that would provide condition data to inform their operational and capital works programs. They recently engaged Interflow, a VAPAR Partner, to complete this package of inspection works using pole-mounted zoom cameras with results available directly through VAPAR’s browser platform. This has seen the value and detail of the collected data increase with better access to videos, images, condition results, and inspection reports. This data is formatted to import directly to GIS for thematic mapping and broader user access. Over 80km of inspections are scheduled to be completed during this project.

VAPAR began the new year processing footage for Muswellbrook Shire Council, with inspections completed by Mullane, a Central Coast / Hunter based VAPAR Partner. Some of the earliest of adopters of advancing technology for the CCTV pipe condition assessment process have been rural and regional councils.

One of the primary influences for this trend has been the demand for engineers and project managers to spend less of their time watching videos and become more focused on managing pipe risk. Understanding this risk using targeted defect frames and open data presentation has been designed to make the pipe condition assessment workflow smarter with improved outcomes.

Gunnedah Shire Council have a large inspection program that began in January. Michael Ludlow (Project Manager Water Services) explains some of the reasons that led to new solutions for managing their sewer network.

“We were looking for an innovative solution that could evaluate CCTV footage and give an accurate assessment of our sewer infrastructure that took the human factor out of the evaluation process, Council required VAPAR to be able to integrate with CCTV contractors to give us the best possible result that was accurate and cost effective we believe that VAPAR ticked all those boxes.”

Regional councils aren’t alone in realising the benefits of VAPAR’s new technology. In Sydney, both Blacktown City Council and Campbelltown City Council have adopted VAPAR to drive improvements in workflow and decision-making. Campbelltown is one of the faster growing areas in Sydney and have found that VAPAR’s AI processing and data outputs don’t just improve their condition assessment program. They now use VAPAR.Solutions as part of their new pipe acceptance and end of warranty testing, this has enabled them to reduce the turn-around time from weeks to days.

Implementing iterative machine-learning updates to the AI processing engine and the further development of automated solutions, VAPAR continues to roll-out this advanced technology to councils and utilities in 2022.

For more information visit the VAPAR website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

Ditch Witch CEA
 Australia, Boring, Company news, Featured, From the magazine, Installation

Unearthing new potential

Ditch Witch CEA boasts the most comprehensive line up of directional drills, HDD tooling, vacuum excavators, trenchers, vibratory ploughs and more available on the market. With impetus on power, the Ditch Witch range is curated to withstand extreme use.

Construction Equipment Australia (CEA) supplies equipment to many industries from construction, through to agriculture, to waste management. All machines are developed for their grunt, versatility, and ergonomics, backed by more than 70 years of expertise.

This year, Ditch Witch introduces a new product to the Australian market, featuring greater stability, higher horsepower, and more advanced electronics.

Scott O’Hare is the Ditch Witch national product manager. “Ditch Witch CEA has made significant investments in aftersales support for these products, including factory trained technicians and parts availability at each branch,” says O’Hare.

“CEA will also offer local HDD guidance and utility locator servicing for their Subsite Electronics products. In addition, CEA will also offer operator training via their Virtual Reality Simulator, based on these new HDD models – as these are all important factors in the aftersales support in the drill market.”

Ditch Witch CEA
The AT32 is equipped with a Cummins Diesel engine with 155 horsepower. Image: Ditch Witch CEA

AT32

The newest in the all-terrain directional drill line-up, the AT32, is equipped with a Cummins Diesel engine with 155 horsepower, offering the highest horsepower in its class. Packed with 32,000 lb of thrust and pullback, the AT32 provides power for efficient installation through tough soils – even hard rock won’t slow it down.

“The new look AT32 replaces the outgoing AT30 model, offering significantly more power and efficiency advancements, in a similar footprint – and shares a common platform with existing next generation models in the Ditch Witch line-up (new climate controlled quiet cabin, increased power, thrust and torque, as well as more onboard pipe and a higher flow fluid pump),” says O’Hare.

“There are also many design and technological advancements that offer efficiency gains while drilling, while retaining the proven reliability Ditch Witch is known for.”

The AT32 perfectly balances size and power, packing high performance into a sleek, streamline hull. Whether towing, mobilising or drilling, the compact footprint allows operators to manoeuvre metropolitan job sites with ease and confidence. Complete job site set-up can also now be completed with the advanced wireless remote.

A heavy-duty anchor system holds operation position for more precise control in all soil conditions. Latest iteration in the all-terrain evolution also features 4,200 ft lbs of rotational torque to unearth new levels of performance.

The operator-focused design features a fully retractable, climate-controlled cab, a heated seat and increased leg room. The ergonomic station is designed specifically with HDD operators at the fore, with adjustable suspension and two 7” LED colour screens for better visibility to all machine functions.

As well as including 29 per cent more onboard pipe, the AT32 also provides operators the option to manually add pipe when low to improve productivity and keep the job running. The Ditch Witch HDD system includes: HDD tooling complete with a full line of drill bits, HD backreamers, drill pipe and beacon housings; Subsite Electronics HDD Guidance systems for a clear plan, more control and faster reporting; vacuum excavators; and training to keep crews confident and efficient.

Ditch Witch CEA will unveil the AT32 at No-Dig Down Under Exhibition in March 2022 in Sydney, with units available for order soon thereafter. You can contact your local Ditch Witch CEA branch on 1300 788 757 for more information.

Marksman + HDD Tracker

To complement the next generation of all-terrain drills, Ditch Witch has developed a new HDD tracker. The “Marksman +” HDD Tracker is the tracker of choice for interference mitigation and avoidance, beacon performance, and ease of use.

More effective tracking results in more productive bores and help guarantee improved performance at extended depths The Marksman HDD Guidance System provides superior performance in high-interference environments with the industry’s widest range of frequencies in a single beacon.

Marksman scans the most usable frequencies, selecting the best choice to avoid interference. Its increased beacon power signal improves performance at extended depths and dual-power-mode provides consistent performance across housing sizes.

Marksman is easy to use with your choice of user interface – ‘Classic View’ or the new ‘Marksman View’ featuring intuitive graphics and clear data – and a simple single toggle control. The tracker weighs 3.2 kg and has a battery life of up to 16 hours. It also comes with on-screen menus and graphics, and an integrated GPS system.

“The AT32 is standard with an in-built screen for the Subsite Marksman +: the most advanced tracker in the Subsite Electronics line up. It also provides access to all the Subsite technology to minimise owners risks, and increase their efficiency and profitability,” says O’Hare.

“The new user interface is user friendly, offering the choice of different views, which will make it suitable for both new and existing Subsite customers.”

For more information visit the Ditch Witch CEA website. 

This article appeared in the February 2022 issue of Trenchless Australasia. Click here to view the digital edition of the magazine. 

 

 

Australia, Company news, Featured, From the magazine, News

KOR building towards the future

The cornerstone of the KOR vision is to make it easier for its customers, which has  led to the establishment of a new major facility in Dandenong, Victoria. 

Chief Executive Officer David Gurrie tells The Australian Pipeliner that over the past 18 months he has been with KOR, he has been focused on identifying opportunities to improve operations and customer outcomes. 

“Dandenong was a facility we identified to become the cornerstone for pre-delivery, warehousing, assembly, service and engineering operations.  It needed to be self-sufficient, staffed with trained KOR staff personnel and fitted with suitable equipment” he says.

“We analysed our Victorian operations across multiple sites using techniques such as SWOTs, time and motion studies, expenditure analysis, and general capability and capacity reviews.  We came to a quick realisation that we can build a more efficient and capable operation by insourcing and centralisation. This will be able to provide a better quality of service and deliver customer outcomes in a more controlled way. That lead down the path of doing our own major site.”

Gurrie says KOR wanted to centralise operations, employ more trades for servicing, and setup heavy workshops to better support their customers and enable further partnerships.  This led to the development of the Dandenong Engineering and Operations facility.

The facility is on a 8000 square metre site with a 4000 square meter building serviced by 8T cranes.  The site will support a large national warehouse, 10 service and assembly bays, and a fabrication area.  The site will also allow KOR to strenghten its partnership with Schwarze Industries. 

In July 2021, KOR secured an exclusive distribution in Australia and New Zealand for Schwarze Industries, highly acclaimed for its durable sweeper products, and renowned for its innovative design and quality.

Gurrie says by opening the Dandenong facility the company can better support the Schwarze agreement which requires domestic sweeper body installation onto locally procured chassis, supported by engineering and fabrication operations.

“That is how I came into the picture, to rapidly improve our operations and enable this quick expansion to identify and procure a suitable site.  At the same time, we also began developing internal trades capability to perform servicing and introduced mobile servicing.  The challenge has been hiring trades during COVID-19.”

“Our mobile service began in early 2021, with additional mobile service vans under commission.  By the end of March 2022, which is the same time as the commissioning of the Engineering and Operations facility, KOR will have three mobile service vans in operation, with one van operating in NSW. We have plans for further expansion of mobile services and workshops over the next 12-18 months.” 

Gurrie says the goal is to improve customer service using KOR workshops and service vans by providing everything a customer needs, at their doorstep, across Australia, to carry out a service. 

“The service vans give us a capability that we weren’t able to provide before. We will be able to send the vans out to customers and perform services and repairs onsite. The vans are equipped with over 200 parts bins and all the right tools and equipment,” he says. 

In addition to the mobile service, the Engineering and Operations facility supports major services and repairs.

“This means when we have a major repair, we can do it safely and efficiently with the overhead cranes, supported by trades and engineers, to complete the repair quickly, getting the equipment back on the road as fast as possible.” Gurrie says.

Gurrie, with a background in engineering, says KOR has been able to expand KOR’s expertise and employee more engineers.

“Engineering capability is important for assembly operations, to custom design and solve problems for customers, to enable KOR to provide better feedback to Cappellotto and Schwarze based on our customer feedback to improve products, to generate training material, and to continue improving our aftersales service outcomes” he says.

Gurrie says parts warehousing is another major element for successful aftersales support as customers demand a rapid turnaround for the supply of parts.

“We are also going to expand our national warehouse, which will triple in size as we are currently over capacity, and further streamline our operations process.  We are now supporting both Cappellotto and Schwarze with parts and have a mandate to stock parts in Australia where practical to reduce backorders.  This national warehouse also supports our satellite warehouses located across Australia and New Zealand.”

KOR is investing in the future in pursuit of ensuring the ongoing best support for our customers.

“It is in the DNA of the KOR team to be there for our customers no matter when they call upon us,” says Gurrie. “We have developed our people and systems to support our customer service charter driving excellent outcomes that the team at KOR pride themselves on and we are only getting started.”

For more information visit KOR.

This article featured in the February edition of Trenchless Australasia. 

 Australia, Company news, Featured, From the magazine, News

KOR building towards the future

The cornerstone of the KOR vision is to make it easier for its customers, which has  led to the establishment of a new major facility in Dandenong, Victoria. 

Chief Executive Officer David Gurrie tells The Australian Pipeliner that over the past 18 months he has been with KOR, he has been focused on identifying opportunities to improve operations and customer outcomes. 

“Dandenong was a facility we identified to become the cornerstone for pre-delivery, warehousing, assembly, service and engineering operations.  It needed to be self-sufficient, staffed with trained KOR staff personnel and fitted with suitable equipment” he says.

“We analysed our Victorian operations across multiple sites using techniques such as SWOTs, time and motion studies, expenditure analysis, and general capability and capacity reviews.  We came to a quick realisation that we can build a more efficient and capable operation by insourcing and centralisation. This will be able to provide a better quality of service and deliver customer outcomes in a more controlled way. That lead down the path of doing our own major site.”

Gurrie says KOR wanted to centralise operations, employ more trades for servicing, and setup heavy workshops to better support their customers and enable further partnerships.  This led to the development of the Dandenong Engineering and Operations facility.

The facility is on a 8000 square metre site with a 4000 square meter building serviced by 8T cranes.  The site will support a large national warehouse, 10 service and assembly bays, and a fabrication area.  The site will also allow KOR to strenghten its partnership with Schwarze Industries. 

In July 2021, KOR secured an exclusive distribution in Australia and New Zealand for Schwarze Industries, highly acclaimed for its durable sweeper products, and renowned for its innovative design and quality.

Gurrie says by opening the Dandenong facility the company can better support the Schwarze agreement which requires domestic sweeper body installation onto locally procured chassis, supported by engineering and fabrication operations.

“That is how I came into the picture, to rapidly improve our operations and enable this quick expansion to identify and procure a suitable site.  At the same time, we also began developing internal trades capability to perform servicing and introduced mobile servicing.  The challenge has been hiring trades during COVID-19.”

“Our mobile service began in early 2021, with additional mobile service vans under commission.  By the end of March 2022, which is the same time as the commissioning of the Engineering and Operations facility, KOR will have three mobile service vans in operation, with one van operating in NSW. We have plans for further expansion of mobile services and workshops over the next 12-18 months.” 

Gurrie says the goal is to improve customer service using KOR workshops and service vans by providing everything a customer needs, at their doorstep, across Australia, to carry out a service. 

“The service vans give us a capability that we weren’t able to provide before. We will be able to send the vans out to customers and perform services and repairs onsite. The vans are equipped with over 200 parts bins and all the right tools and equipment,” he says. 

In addition to the mobile service, the Engineering and Operations facility supports major services and repairs.

“This means when we have a major repair, we can do it safely and efficiently with the overhead cranes, supported by trades and engineers, to complete the repair quickly, getting the equipment back on the road as fast as possible.” Gurrie says.

Gurrie, with a background in engineering, says KOR has been able to expand KOR’s expertise and employee more engineers.

“Engineering capability is important for assembly operations, to custom design and solve problems for customers, to enable KOR to provide better feedback to Cappellotto and Schwarze based on our customer feedback to improve products, to generate training material, and to continue improving our aftersales service outcomes” he says.

Gurrie says parts warehousing is another major element for successful aftersales support as customers demand a rapid turnaround for the supply of parts.

“We are also going to expand our national warehouse, which will triple in size as we are currently over capacity, and further streamline our operations process.  We are now supporting both Cappellotto and Schwarze with parts and have a mandate to stock parts in Australia where practical to reduce backorders.  This national warehouse also supports our satellite warehouses located across Australia and New Zealand.”

KOR is investing in the future in pursuit of ensuring the ongoing best support for our customers.

“It is in the DNA of the KOR team to be there for our customers no matter when they call upon us,” says Gurrie. “We have developed our people and systems to support our customer service charter driving excellent outcomes that the team at KOR pride themselves on and we are only getting started.”

For more information visit KOR.

This article featured in the February edition of Trenchless Australasia.